With 128GB, iPad Hits Surface Pro, Ultrabook Territory

noh8rz10 writes "Holy moly! iPad gets a heavyweight sibling, clicking in at 128GB. This places it in range of storage for Surface Pro and ultrabooks. It's clearly targeted at the professional market, as the press release cites X-rays and CAD files as reasons. Should Microsoft be afraid? Methinks so. Best part, pricing is growing by log 2. Just as the 32GB version is $100 more than the 16, and the 64 is $100 more than the 32, this new version is $100 more than the 64!" Update: 01/29 16:00 GMT by T : Here's Apple's announcement itself.

Comments

Uh yeah

[Anonymous Coward]

Because the amount of storage is the only things that's different between an ipad and an ultrabook...

Re:Uh yeah

[characterZer0]

Unless they have to type.

Re:Uh yeah

[jtownatpunk.net]

Clearly you've never read business emails. The keyboard, it does nothing!

Re:Uh yeah

[Anonymous Coward]

I own a ultrabook. It is my main workstation. I have nginx, php, ruby, java, sqlite, mysql, some IDEs and all the unix toolkit at my disposition.

Do that with you iPad. Oh wait, you can't.

So get over yourself.

Re:Uh yeah

[alen]

only retarts cant type on an ipad

its very easy

Re:Uh yeah

[sl4shd0rk]

Because the amount of storage is the only things that's different between an ipad and an ultrabook...

Oh, actually there are quite a few differences:

1) You don't need a special repository to install software on your Ultrabook.

2) Most Ultrabooks will let you install another OS

3) You have a better chance of upgrading/replacing the components in your Ultrabook.

4) Ultrabooks have standard connectors for peripherals

5) I've yet to hear sneering from an Ultrabook owner directed at someone who doesn't have one

Re:Uh yeah

[dinfinity]

Woosh.

Re:Uh yeah

[SuperKendall]

He covered all your points. His case is a keyboard, and charging something once every few months does not really add overhead.

As for "more functional" I would argue the iPad at this point is more functional for a small form-factor device, simply because all the software (and there is a LOT of software) is designed to work in that space. On a "real PC" as the Surface Pro is, you are going to be running a lot of PC software really built for larger displays. If all you are doing is browsing and running word I'm sure the Surface Pro is fine; some of us want more capability.

The Surface Pro is a Macbook Air competitor, not really an iPad competitor... even if the Surface does have touch.

But I can do stuff with an Ultrabook

[Anonymous Coward]

Besides content consumption, that is...

Re:But I can do stuff with an Ultrabook

[slashmydots]

I can do even more amazing tricks with my Toshiba Portege Ultrabook: run almost any software ever written, type on it with physical feedback (and backlit keys), attach USB flash drives to it, join a Windows domain, backup an entire disk image to external media on a USB 3.0 port, run MS Office, run Adobe CS6, upgrade or downgrade the OS, upgrade the RAM, upgrade the SSD, upgrade the webcam, and play legacy games. If anyone still thinks their ipad is an ultrabook, they're really not helping the "Apple fanboys are delusional" stereotype. I mean, yeah, they are and it's not a stereotype but still.

Re:But I can do stuff with an Ultrabook

[Old97]

I don't know why some idiot scored you as "informative". There is more to content creation than programming. Development may not be possible on a tablet, but you certainly can create a lot of other content. Diagrams, documents, artwork, video, music, etc. Want a physical keyboard? Well just like a Surface Pro you can select from a variety of keyboards. Mine is part of the cover, real keys, lasts 40 hours of use and recharges with microUSB. Personally, I'd prefer an ultrabook because I do development and I'm a geek, but for most people tablets like the iPad fit their needs very well.

Re:Are you sure?

[TimHunter]

Available Feb 5, according to Apple's press release. http://www.cultofmac.com/212986/apple-will-start-selling-128gb-ipad-next-week/

The pricing is still a bit ridiculous

[Bagels]

Logarithmic pricing or not, if you're paying a $300 premium for this version of the iPad (vs. the 16GB version), that's a seriously lousy price on flash storage; typical SSD prices these days are on the order of $180 for a 250GB SSD (and I've seen sale prices as low as $140-150). Apple's doing this with a lot of other products these days, too: the RAM on their laptops isn't user-serviceable any more, so you have to buy it built-in at hugely inflated prices.

Re:The pricing is still a bit ridiculous

[timeOday]

Yes - the 128GB version is $100 more than the 64 GB version - a difference of 64 GB - but a 64 GB SD card is less than $50.

The lack of a MicroSD slot on the Apple products is a complete racket.

Re:And not a single

[SJHillman]

In addition to their existing 128GB model that's referenced in the summary? Or do you mean a 128GB model that actually has 128GB, not 83GB plus a 45GB OS?

Only stupid people think so

[TheSkepticalOptimist]

The whole point of Surface Pro is to actually develop apps on it, its a hybrid device that is a little tablet and a little laptop. Only stupid people think that iPad with 128gb of storage is intended to compete with Surface Pro, or Ultrabooks for that matter.

Until Apple allows the iPad to support content creation (true content creation, not the limited "hold your hands" approach to content creation that it currently has), then I don't think anybody should confuse iPad in the same market as Ultrabooks, or the jack of all trades Surface Pro.

Re:And not a single

[thoth]

OP is talking about Windows Surface, where Win 8 or Win RT eats up a lot of storage.

Re:More hyperbole please!

[nomadic]

When you spend your days in a Williamsburgh coffee shop, waiting for your family to send the rent check while you wait for some employer to recognize the value of your BFA in Film Studies, sometimes Apple love is all you have. Well, that and the muttonchops.

Re:And not a single

[paiute]

128GB should be enough for anyone.

Why do you assume Apple's SSD is that slow?

[SuperKendall]

but a 64 GB SD card is less than $50.

The desire to not have ignorant users like yourself gimp the iPad with slow flash memory is why Apple does not have an SD port. Come to think of it, that is also why GOOGLE is building more devices now without an SD port now also. Performance is guaranteed.

The iPad 3 had storage they can write to at up to 22MB/s, and read from at 78MB/s... the card you listed can do neither of those things as quickly despite the 50MB/s claim on the front.

If you really want to attach an SD card to read movies or media from just buy a camera connection kit and attach it to the iPad that way.